[Familial articular chondrocalcinosis: study of an Alsatian family]

Familial articular chondrocalcinosis is a chronic articular disease characterized by acute intermittent attacks of arthritis, presence of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal in synovial fluid, cartilage and periarticular soft tissue and by x rays calcium deposition in articular cartilage. A family originating from Alsace, with an autosomal dominant transmission has been studied. As in English and Argentinean families, a linkage to the short arm of chromosome 5p has been found. These results suggest that a defective gene at this location may be related to the chondrocalcinosis in these families.